Synapxe advances HealthTech innovation for Singapore’s healthcare ecosystem with launch of new Innovation Lab, ‘Terrarium’

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Synapxe will foster greater healthcare and tech industry collaboration, enhancing its role as Singapore’s HealthTech ecosystem enabler

Minister for Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung launched Synapxe’s new Innovation Lab, Terrarium, marking the official opening of the national HealthTech agency’s new location at Elementum in One-North today.

Terrarium will facilitate the development of new and innovative HealthTech solutions and platforms to serve our nation’s healthcare needs, and improve the lives of millions every day, everywhere. Industry partners and innovators will now have a dedicated and safe space to ideate, experiment and connect with the public healthcare ecosystem, right in the precinct of Singapore’s high tech and R&D clusters. From calls-for-innovations to pitching sessions and new technology showcases, Terrarium is the latest addition to Synapxe’s HealthX eco-system of enablers, making it easier for companies to pursue solutions for Singapore’s public health sector.

Ms Ngiam Siew Ying, CEO of Synapxe, said: “With the launch of Synapxe just over a year ago, we have made good progress in continuing to tech-enable our healthcare system. A key milestone for us was completing the roll-out of the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) in both the National Healthcare Group (NHG) and National University Health System (NUHS) clusters this July. A patient can now enjoy a more seamless experience between the two healthcare clusters, with connected care and data. This has become more than a health IT project. It is a key enabler for healthcare transformation.

Synapxe will continue evolving as a leading healthtech agency, to be a positive force for healthcare transformation and innovation through collaboration. Terrarium underscores our role as a partner to our public healthcare institutions, and ambition to work with companies big and small, high-tech and R&D clusters, to bring about game-changing innovations that will deliver exceptional impact across our healthcare ecosystem. Terrarium is a symbol of Synapxe’s commitment to innovation, to reimagine healthcare solutions and explore emerging technologies for tomorrow’s healthcare growth.”

Augmenting healthcare professionals and empowering patients

To achieve better healthcare outcomes, Synapxe collaborates with many local-based partners to drive new innovations. One focus area is on ‘premises-neutral’ care. This means that the technology or application has potential to be used in public healthcare settings, in a patient’s own home and in the community, empowering patients and caregivers.

One project showcased today at Terrarium demonstrates how Synapxe collaborates with local startups to achieve this aim. The portable SoundEye Lasso Fall Detection is a contactless mobile device that detects and prevent falls. This prototype was piloted at Singapore Christian Home (SCH) to monitor residents in beds and wheelchairs. It is a product of Synapxe’s HealthX journey, delivering a prototype within three months. After a successful trial at SCH, the product is now being further developed for use in hospital settings. As a non-invasive monitoring technological solution, it can help improve the quality of life of ageing patients in the care system.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications within the healthcare landscape

AI has also unlocked new innovation possibilities. Examples of AI technology showcased at Terrarium today include Visual Pillbox, a collaboration between Synapxe and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), a member of the National Healthcare Group. It leverages Generative AI (GenAI) technology to generate a customised medication intake scheduler, enhancing patient education and adherence. This is especially helpful for patients and their caregivers with complex medication regimes to manage their medications.

Health Kaki is another initiative that utilises GenAI to create personalised and actionable recommendations based on health goals discussed with family doctors during their HealthierSG consultations. Co-developed by Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Promotion Board (HPB), Temus, Amazon Web Services and Synapxe, this prototype allows residents to interact digitally with the app to refine and personalise their lifestyle prescription action plans starting with diet and exercise.

These projects exemplify the technological possibilities of how GenAI can be integrated in ways that could further personalise and refine patient care, thereby supporting the vision of a healthier Singapore.

Integrating applications, infrastructure and security operations

Synapxe@Elementum is also home to the new Healthcare Integrated Operations (HITOps) Centre. Built based on a centralised operations concept, HITOps brings together the operations control for IT infrastructure, applications, and cybersecurity operations for public healthcare sector in one single location. This will enhance the situational awareness of different operation teams across different domains, leading to quicker responses and resolutions in event of any IT or cyber incident.

Synapxe will progressively integrate more tools and capabilities into HITOps in the next few years. These include enhancements using automation, AI and machine learning to further improve IT operations and future-proof Synapxe’s operational capabilities.

As part of his visit, Minister Ong was given a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the HITOps centre, and met with the Synapxe teams who work tirelessly in the background to keep our public healthcare systems safe and operating.

Appended materials

• Annex A: Terrarium: Synapxe’s New Innovation Lab at Elementum
• Annex B: About HealthX
• Annex C: About Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR)